Fall camp has officially begun in Lawrence, with head coach Lance Leipold meeting with the media following the first practice of fall camp. Leipold spoke about the team’s goals for the camp, the new analyst who has joined the staff, how to continue building the culture of Kansas football and more.
Leipold’s goals for fall training
The Kansas football team enters camp with some intriguing storylines: While the core of key skill positions are all returning, there is still competition at other positions, especially in the front seven and on the offensive line.
“We’re still figuring out our defensive end rotation,” Leipold said. “We think we have some guys that have had great offseasons. Guys like Dean Miller have really improved. We have some young guys that we’re excited to see what happens when they put pads on. Guys like Caleb Taylor had a great offseason all winter and all summer. Who’s going to emerge in those areas? And what about our linebacker depth? [be]?And then, obviously, on the offensive line, there’s still good competition going on.?
Leipold also said he hopes “daily improvement” will be the foundation of what the Kansas football team is trying to accomplish this season.
New analysts with increased responsibilities join staff
Kansas has brought in several new analysts in hopes of helping various position groups, with Leipold naming Mike Dawson (front seven), Brandon Shelby (cornerbacks), Pat Ceroni, Brian Stolt (defense), Angus McClure (offensive line), Kelton Copeland (receivers), Tyler Bolfing (offense) and Eric Terrazas (offense).
These analysts have experience in the Power Five and the NFL and will have the opportunity to work on the field and in the conference room after the NCAA approved rule changes that remove limits on coaches who can instruct during games.
“When I got here, the analysts couldn’t even go into the position room, they had to stand off the field. They’ve been coaching elsewhere their whole lives, so I’m excited to see that everyone is finally understanding that they can help each other,” Leipold said. “We have to be careful, we have to make sure that everyone is on the same page and feels comfortable, we have to make sure that everyone checks their egos and is in agreement about what we’re doing.”
Many of the coaches on his staff at the start of the Leipold era had preexisting relationships with the Kansas head coach, which he said was important in building trust and knowing their backgrounds, but getting to know the new analysts has been an interesting experience.
“For me personally, I love it when new people come in because I get to spend a lot of time with them and hear their feedback, from their day-to-day routine in the office to their practice routine to what they’re looking at,” Leipold said. “And that’s what’s interesting, and that’s really where you find the right fit.”
Maintaining Kansas Football’s Developmental Culture
Kansas football quickly established a culture under Leipold, something he said Jeff Grimes mentioned to him when he first took on the role as offensive coordinator.
“Yes, you guys seem to embrace the process,” Leipold said, “and just as importantly, they seem to like being around each other. I took that as a really good compliment on both sides. But that may not be the case everywhere else, and we have to make sure it remains in our culture.”
Part of maintaining that culture is having veteran players “pass the baton” to the younger players in the program — Kansas has about 30 seniors on its roster with plenty of experience — and they’re responsible for teaching the younger players what it means to be a Jayhawk.
“It shows them this is the way it’s going to be, this is the way we’re going to do it,” Leipold said, “and over the summer, some of these guys are going to get a little taste of it around us. But like today and tomorrow, they’re really watching how we practice, how we finish, what we do, how we clean up after ourselves, what we do.”
Jaron Daniels Updates
Jaron Daniels was fully operational on the first day of camp as he looks to return from an injury-plagued 2023 season. Coach Leipold said he thought it was a really good day for Daniels and that it was probably his best 11-on-11 game to date.
Not only does Daniels bring a lot of excitement to the team with his play, but he also brings a lot of energy. Leipold said it’s up to the leaders to bring that energy, and Daniels does that great.
“When you have a guy like Jaron and you know what he’s been through, [it] “Sometimes it can benefit us in a really weird way,” Leipold said, “I mean, he’s just happy to be out there. He’s enjoying every snap he gets and that can be infectious to the football team.”
Tony Terry leaves the show
Leipold also noted the departure of defensive end Tony Terry from the program. Terry was a three-star defensive end who redshirted his freshman season.